Michael Schumacher: son; brother; dad; husband; hero; seven time Formula 1 World Champion; holder of numerous records; a pantomime villain to some and, of course, a legend. Love him, loathe him, we are all praying for Schumi.
Up until recent events Schumacher was thought still to be in a coma at Grenoble University Hospital. on Monday the 16th of June a news release stated that he was no longer in a coma and had been moved to a hospital in Lausanne in Western Switzerland to continue his long rehabilitation.
To mark this great news I shall take a look back on his Formula 1 career; his high and lows through the eyes of a British fan.
The first time I saw Schumacher race in Formula 1 was his debut with Jordan GP, at the Belgium Grand Prix. He qualified a very impressive seventh. The race didn’t go so well with Michael having to retire on lap one with clutch failure.
In 1992, having been poached controversially by Benetton, he took his first victory, coincidentally back at the Belgium Grand Prix.
He finished his first full season third overall. 1994 was a year no Formula 1 fan can forget because of Imola; a race which Schumacher won. The rest of the ’94 season became a battle between Schumacher and Williams’ British driver Damon hill.
It’s the last race of the season and the Championship is poised on a single race and a single point: Schumacher on 92 to Hill’s 91.
Adelaide, Australia. Schumacher made the first blot on his copy book. He went off at East Terrace corner, hitting the wall before rejoining the track. Hill, scenting blood, tried to overtake Schumacher’s ailing Benetton, but the two cars collided as Schumacher turned in. The Benetton driver retired immediately, Hill on the very next lap. Schumacher wins the 1994 World Championship. His first and undoubtedly most controversial. This was a defining moment in his career. The first of seven World Championships. But the one that for a time at least made him a pantomime villain, especially with the British Press.
In 1995 Schumacher retained his World Championship. Before moving to the sleeping giant Ferrari for the ’96 season, winning three Grand Prixs in his first term at the Scuderia. 1997 the project at Ferrari continued apace; Schumacher won five Grand Prix and had a chance at the title. But again he blotted his copy book trying to take out another Williams driver; Jacques Villenenuve at Jerez. This time it didn’t work and he was stripped of his Championship points for the season.
The 1999 Grand Prix at Silverstone was easily Schumacher’s worst day at the office. Having a healthy lead in the Championship he crashed at Stowe corner with a break failure, fracturing his leg He would not return to Formula 1 until the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Glory Years Begin
In the 2000 season Schumacher finally brought the Championship back to Maranello, wining nine races along the way. It was Ferrari’s first title winning season since Jody Scheckter’s in 1979; a popular victory throughout the formula one community.
2001 – Schumacher won nine times and retained his title.
2002 – Eleven wins and he wrapped up the Championship in record time.
2003 – He won another title, breaking Juan Manuel Fangio’s record of five World Drivers’ Championships.
2004 – Won his seventh and final Drivers’ Championship.
The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix was another low point. Schumacher parked his Ferrari at Rascasse to prevent a charging Fernando Alonso from claiming pole position. After winning the 2006 Italian Grand Prix Schumacher announced his retirement, perhaps slightly too early. Was he pushed to do so? We probably will never know.
Return of the King
In 2010 Schumacher returned to the sport he had once dominated. This time with Mercedes. As with prize fighters he couldn’t seem to live without the competition.
Unfortunately the Mercedes was, at this stage, not the competitive car Schumacher had hoped for. There where glimpses of the “Schumi Magic”, for example at Monaco in 2012 where he would have taken pole had it not been for a grid penalty for running into Bruno Senna’s Williams
and picking up his only podium finish in three years at Mercedes at the European Grand Prix in Valencia.
Michael Schumacher retires for a second time
How good was Schumacher?
Statistics don’t lie, but they don’t tell you the full story either. When he was at his most dominant the competition wasn’t up to standard. He had the full backing of Ferrari as an out and out number one driver. Would Rubens Barrichello have been able to beat Schumacher more regularly given the chance? Probably, as would Felipe Massa, but I don’t think that would have affected Championship results.
Unfortunately Mikka Hakkinen retired too early in 2001. I’m sure he would have given Schumacher a better fight in the coming seasons.
Much as Sebastian Vettel had a superior car over the last four years Schumacher had much the same but Vettel had stronger drivers on the grid competing against him.
I look back at what I have to admit is a truly magnificent career. Yes he had his moments, but that’s what winners do, don’t they? Vettel, Hamilton, and Fernando Alonso have all had these defining moments in their careers. Maybe not quite so blatant, but we British fans are haunted by the injustice of Adelaide all those years ago. Time to move on and salute arguably the greatest driver of his generation. And statistically at least the greatest driver of all time!
Keep Fighting Michael.
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